Within the field of cutting tools used in grooving, parting and on-edge threading operations, there are many examples of polygonal shaped cutting inserts removably retained in an insert receiving pocket of a tool holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,379 discloses a cutting insert having a mount portion with at least three straight insert locating sides lying on the sides of an imaginary regular polygon, said insert having a radially outwardly extending arm at each of the corners of said imaginary polygon, with each arm having an outer edge and a pair of opposite sides that extend in a largely radially outward direction from the axis of said polygon, and with each arm forming a cutting edge at the intersection of the outer edge and each of the sides of the arm. The cutting insert is clamped in a tool holder recess having walls forming a plurality of straight holder positioning surfaces that abut said insert locating sides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,197 discloses a cutting insert having a mount portion with a plurality of straight locating sides lying on the sides of an imaginary polygon that has an axis and corners, said insert having a largely radially outwardly extending arm at each of a plurality of said corners of said imaginary polygon, with each arm having a cutting edge, with each arm having an arm upper side extending substantially radially to said cutting edge, and with each arm having a lower side.
US 2013/0156516 discloses cutting tool assembly including a cutting tool and an indexable cutting insert having an insert index axis. The cutting insert includes parallel insert first and second sides connected by an insert peripheral surface that extends peripherally around the cutting insert. At least one clamping hole opens out to one or both of the insert first and second sides, and at least a portion of the clamping hole is in a clamping region of the cutting insert. The insert peripheral surface includes cutting edges that are spaced-apart and extend from the insert first side to the insert second side. Along a width direction, which is perpendicular to the insert first and second sides, each of the cutting edges is wider than the cutting insert, at least at the cutting region of the cutting insert.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved indexable triangular-shaped cutting insert.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved cutting tool in which the triangular shaped cutting insert is removably secured to a tool holder with a high level of stability.
It is a further object of the present invention to position the triangular shaped cutting insert on the tool holder with a high level of accuracy and repeatability.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to index the triangular shaped cutting insert on the tool holder with a high level of efficiency.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cutting tool configured to perform grooving and parting operations at large depths of insertion.